Study: Employees paying more for healthcare

Healthcare costs are continuing to rise and so is the amount employees contribute for health insurance coverage, according to the Employer Health Benefits Survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

The amount of money an employee is expected to contribute for their health insurance increased 14 percent, the survey shows. The average person now pays $4,000 a year for family health insurance coverage.

Kaiser president and CEO Dr. Drew Altman says the rise in healthcare costs may seem like they are rising faster than a persons income.

"With the economy struggling, businesses have been shifting more of the costs of health insurance to workers through premiums, deductibles and other cost-sharing," said Altman. "This may be helping to stem the rapid rise in premiums that we saw in the early 2000s, but it also means employer coverage is less comprehensive."

Employers have been trying to reduce medical costs through employee wellness programs. Some companies have awarded employees who take action to become healthier and thus, require less medical care and use health insurance less frequently.